Ja'Tavion Sanders
| No. 85 – Carolina Panthers | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Tight end |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | March 27, 2003 Napa, California, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Weight: | 245 lb (111 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Billy Ryan (Denton, Texas) |
| College: | Texas (2021–2023) |
| NFL draft: | 2024 / Round: 4 / Pick: 101 |
| Career history | |
| |
| Roster status: | Unsigned draft pick |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Career NFL statistics as of 2024 | |
| Player stats at NFL.com | |
Ja'Tavion Sanders (born March 27, 2003) is an American football tight end for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas Longhorns, earning all-conference honors in 2022 and 2023.
Early life and high school[edit]
Sanders grew up in Denton, Texas and attended Billy Ryan High School, where he played basketball and was a wide receiver and defensive end on the football team.[1] He was named first team All-District 4-5A Division 1 at defensive end after recording 39 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, two forced fumbles, and three passes broken up while also catching 47 passes for 763 yards and 7 touchdowns on offense.[2] Sanders had 63 receptions for 1,161 yards and 16 touchdown receptions with three rushing touchdowns while also recording four sacks and an interception on offense and was named the co-MVP of District 5-5A Division 1.[3][4] Sanders was rated a five-star recruit as an athlete and committed to play college football at Texas over offers from Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, and Texas A&M.[5]
College career[edit]
Sanders joined the Texas Longhorns as an early enrollee in 2021 and played on both offense and defense during preseason practices.[6] The team's coaching staff ultimately decided that he would play tight end.[7] Sanders played in all 12 of the Texas's games during his freshman season, primarily on special teams.[8] Sanders entered his sophomore season as the Longhorns' primary tight end after transfer Jahleel Billingsley was suspended for the team's first six games.[9][10] Sanders was twice-named All-Big 12 before declaring for the 2024 NFL draft following the team's loss in the 2024 Sugar Bowl.[11]
College statistics[edit]
| Texas Longhorns | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | G | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD |
| 2021 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 13 | 54 | 613 | 11.4 | 5 |
| 2023 | 14 | 45 | 682 | 15.2 | 2 |
| Career | 39 | 99 | 1,295 | 13.1 | 7 |
Professional career[edit]
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 3+7⁄8 in (1.93 m) |
245 lb (111 kg) |
32+7⁄8 in (0.84 m) |
10+1⁄8 in (0.26 m) |
4.69 s | 1.59 s | 2.70 s | 4.32 s | 30.0 in (0.76 m) |
9 ft 6 in (2.90 m) |
8 reps | ||
| All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day[12][13] | ||||||||||||
Sanders was selected 101st overall by the Carolina Panthers in the 2024 NFL Draft.
References[edit]
- ^ "Former Ryan standout Ja'Tavion Sanders makes list of breakout candidates". Denton Record-Chronicle. August 25, 2022. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
- ^ Griffin, Cami (February 27, 2020). "Texas football now has a five-star commit in 2021 recruiting class". Longhorns Wire. USA Today. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
- ^ "Texas Longhorns: Ja'Tavion Sanders up to coach's challenge". Houston Chronicle. August 10, 2022. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
- ^ Hall, Jeff (August 8, 2021). "Longhorns working hard to get Ja'Tavion Sanders 'up to speed' in fall camp". 247Sports.com. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
- ^ "Denton Ryan's Ja'Tavion Sanders commits to Texas, joining fellow four-star teammate Billy Bowman Jr". The Dallas Morning News. September 8, 2019. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
- ^ "Texas freshmen Ja'Tavion Sanders, Xavier Worthy already showing flashes". San Antonio Express-News. August 10, 2021. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
- ^ "Texas spring breakout candidates: Versatile Ja'tavion Sanders to settle into role as tight end". The Dallas Morning News. March 24, 2022. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
- ^ Golden, Cedric (October 6, 2022). "Ja'Tavion Sanders could be next great Red River tight end". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
- ^ "Texas has been waiting for a tight end like Ja'Tavion Sanders". Houston Chronicle. October 4, 2022. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
- ^ Dimmitt, Zach (October 11, 2022). "Steve Sarkisian Reveals Longhorns TE Plan for Ja'Tavion Sanders & Jahleel Billingsley". SI.com. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
- ^ Thamel, Pete. "Texas tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders declares for NFL draft". ESPN. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
- ^ "Ja'Tavion Sanders Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
- ^ "2024 NFL Draft Scout Ja'Tavion Sanders College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved March 14, 2024.